ICTP and Perimeter Institute Strengthen Ties

ICTP and the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (PI), Ontario, Canada, have taken steps to boost scientific knowledge exchange and collaboration between their researchers.

On 15 April, ICTP Director Fernando Quevedo and PI Director Neil Turok signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote progress in all research areas of common interest, to build academic ties and to collaborate on outreach programmes for the promotion of science at the international level.

Among other points, the agreement encourages exchanges between postdoctoral fellows, advanced PhD students and faculty researchers, for extended visits of two to four weeks. Moreover, the two institutes will collaborate to organise workshops and schools on subjects of common interest and funding will be provided on an equal basis.

The agreement was signed during a UNESCO conference titled 'Africa: the Choice of Science, the AIMS (African Institute for Mathematical Sciences) Initiative', held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris on 14 and 15 April.

PI, which was founded in 1999, focuses on theoretical physics research like ICTP. Some of the broad common research interests between the two institutes include quantum gravity, superstring theory, cosmology and gravitation, and particle physics.